Dampening and stretching machine.



L. H. CARLETON.

DAMPENING AND STEETGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD APE. 210, 1908. 904,406. Patented Nov. 17, 1903 TH: NaRRls PErERs co., was-mueran, n. c.

L. H. CARLETON. DAMPENING AND STBETGHING MAUHINE.

Y dQPPLIOATION FILED APR. 20, 1908. Patented NOV. 17

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L. H. CARLETON. DJLMPENINGv AND STRETGHING MACHINE.

GATION FILED APR.20198.

Pateced Nov. 17, 190s.

APPLI 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIC.

LESLIE H. GARLETON,

OF TROY, NEW YORK.

IDAMPENING AND STRETCHING- MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE H. CARLETON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dampening and Stretching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a machine for dampening and stretching collars preparatory to ironing.

In the art of manufacturing collars, the fabric is susceptible to shrinkage when laundered, resulting in the production of collars of varying lengths. The degree of shrinkage varies according to the circumstances, the details of which need not be here minutely discussed, sufficient to state, that it may vary from a thirty-second to one-half of an inch. Under these conditions collar manufacturers experience considerable diiiiculty in making their product of the exact length, necessitating a large number of what are termed seconds Heretofore, the collars have been dampened and set aside a determinate period, and then stretched and afterwards brought in bulk to the ironing machine and ironed. This operation is slow, expensive and in many instances extremely unreliable, and it is the purpose of my present invention to cure these defects.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a highly eflicient means for dampening, stretching and ironing collars in one operation and with a single machine.

It is my purpose to arrange the various parts of the mechanism whereby dry steam is employed to prevent too much moisture being applied to the face side of the collar and introduce steam which condenses in a pad for dampening the inner face side of the collar, and after the dampening operation direct the collars between a pair of stretching rolls to stretch the fabric suflicient to produce collars of uniform length.

The invention also comprehends improvements in the specific details of construction and particular arrangement of parts, all of which will be hereinafter referred to and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing a conventional illustration of an ironing machine, and the invention coperating therewith. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 20, 1908.

Asuitable material as indicated at 11.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Serial No. 428,171.

line 3 3, of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a vertical transverse section on the line LA of F ig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the belt shifting device. Fig. 6 is a detail of the steam supply pipe for the upper roll.

The numeral l, indicates a portion of an ironing machine of appropriate construction, and including the usual heated roll 2, and coperating padded roll 3. Bolted or otherwise fastened to the frame of the ironing machine, is a frame4, supporting a series of rolls, which forms one of the essential features of my invention.

5, indicates a hollow, preferably brass roll, having its journals mounted in bearings 6, operating in seats 7, in the frame, and forced downwardly by springs S, the tension thereof being regulated by set screws 9. Dry steam is introduced through a pipe 5a, to heat the roll 5 to prevent the retention of moisture on the periphery and thereby prevent it getting on the face side of the collar. A small pipe 5b, extends through the ournal of roll 5, and its inner end is turned down to extend into and withdraw the water from the roller, due to condensation.

Directly under the roller 5, is a hollow roller 10, having its periphery perforated, and substantially padded, with felt, or other A pipe l2, passes through the roller 10, and inside the latter it is perforated, to permit the exit of steam which escapes through the perforations 10, to the pad 11, and condenses in the latter to serve as a dampening medium. Under the roller 10, is a smaller hollow roller 13, having its periphery perforated and padded as at 13a, and mounted in spring pressed boxes 14. A perforated pipe 15, passes into roller 13, to introduce steam or boiling water to the interior thereof to moisten the padded surface, to supply the padded periphery of roller 10, with moisture, when found necessary, as will be hereinafter explained.

In front of roller 10, is a small roller 17, normally forced into contact with said roller 10, by spring pressed bearings 18. The function of this roller is to squeeze the excess moisture from the pad 11, the amount removed being regulated by the adjustment of the pressure of the springs on the bearings.

In the rear of rollers 5 and 10, are two small stretching rollers 19 and 20, the journals of the lower one revolving in slotted bearings in the frame, while the upper one 20, is mounted in spring pressed boxes 21, the pressure being regulated by set screws 22. The ends of the roller 19, are tapered, to provide cones 23, and the ends of a countershaft 19, are reversely tapered to form cones 24, corresponding to the angle of the cones 23. Around the cones 23, are endless bands 25, to alter the speed of the rollers 19 and 20. A band shifter 26, engages each band and their upper ends are threaded to receive threaded portions of a shifting rod 27. The rod 27, is provided with right and left hand threads as indicated at 28 and 29, so as to simultaneously and properly move the bands upon the conical ends of the roller 19 to regulate the speed of the rollers 19 and 20.

The peripheries of rolls 5 and 10, and 19 and 20, and 2 and 3, are in alinement to direct a collar to the ironing machine, as will be noted by reference to the drawing. The rollers 5 and 10 have intermeshing gears 30, and 31, and on the journal of roller 10, are other gears 32 and 33. Gear 33, meshes with a gear 34, on the counter-shaft 19, and gear 32 meshes with gear 35, on the ironing machine.

In operation, power is applied and steam is introduced to roller 5, to heat it to the desired temperature, and steam is also introduced to roller 10, through the perforations in pipe 12. The steam entering roller 10, condenses in the padded periphery, which is the medium for dampening the collars. The collar is fed between rollers 5 and 10, and as previously stated it may have rollers 5 and 10, are solely for the purpose of dampening the fabric, while the 'rollers 19 and 20, are employed for stretching the collar to make them uniform, but the operation of one set of rollers is essential to the other to produce the desired result.

Inasmuch as the degree of shrinkage varies, I find a band shifting system of the type described quite essential, inasmuch as it is susceptible of change to produce a very slight or very great stretching of the collar, this of course being determined by the character and grade of the material from which the collars are manufactured.r

It may be found desirable to use hotjwater to dampen the padded periphery, with or without the steam in roller 10. When doing so, boiling water is introduced to the roller 13, through the pipe 15, and as it passes to the padded periphery of the said roller throughA the perforations, the padded periphery 11, of roller 1G, will absorb it.

Obviously the frame 4, may be detached from the ironing machine and mounted on a stand, and operated independently.' In this instance the collars would be dampened and stretched, and then removed to another machine for ironing.

My invention is simple and comparatively inexpensive, and it does away with a great expense in help, handling, and avoids glossy seams and other defects pertaining to improper dampening, as the heated roller contacts with the padded periphery of roller 10, the moisture thereon being practically driven off by the heat, and thereby prevents the face side of the collar becoming too wet.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a frame, a hollow roller mounted in the frame, means for introducing a heating medium into the roller to heat it, a padded roller mounted in the frame, the periphery of the padded roller and the hollow heated roller contacting, means for dampening the padded periphery of the roller, means acting on the padded periphery to regulate the amoiint of moisture therein, a pair o f stretching rollers mounted in the frame adjacent the two before mentioned rollers, and means for imparting motion to the stretching rollers to draw a dampened collar passing therebetween faster than it is fed by the hollow and padded rollers to stretch it.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a frame, a hollow roller mounted in the frame, means for introducing steam to the roller to heat it, a perforated roller having a padded periphery, means for introducing steam to the interior of the perforated roller to moisten the padded periphery, a pair of stretching rollers in rear of the hollow and padded rollers, and means to cause them to pull a dampened collar from between the hollow and padded rollers faster than lthe latter is feeding it to stretch said collar.

3. In anapparatus of the class described, the combination of a frame, a pair of dampening rollers to dampen a collar, a countershaft having a pair of cone portions, a pair of stretching rollers in rear of the dampening rollers, one of said stretching rollers having cone portions, the latter being the reverse of the cone portion on the countershaft, bands passing between the cone portions to regulate the speed of the stretching rollers, and means for simultaneously moving the bands to change the speed of said stretching rollers.

4. .In an apparatus ofthe class described,30

the combination of a frame, a pair of rollers to dampen an article, means for heating one of said rollers by steam, means for supplying the other of said rollers with steam to moisten its periphery, a pair of stretching rollers in rear of the dampening rollers, and a belt cooperating with the stretching rollers for causing the stretching rollers to revolve to pull the collar at a greater speed than it is being fed by said dampening rollers whereby the dampened collar is stretched.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a frame, a hollow roller, means for introducing a heating medium into the roller to heat it, a hollow padded roller in contact with the rst mentioned roller, a perforated steam pipe entering the padded roller for moistening the pad, a perforated roller in contact with the padded roller, a perforated pipe entering the perforated roller, a pair of stretching rollers in the rear of the first mentioned hollow roller and the padded roller, and means for revolving the stretching rollers faster than the said rollers in front of them.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a frame, a hollow roller, means for heating the hollow roller by steam, a padded hollow roller coperating with the aforesaid hollow roller, a pipe entering the padded roller for introducing steam to moisten the padded portion, a spring pressed roller for removing surplus moisture from the padded portion of the hollow roller, a pair of stretching rollers in rear of the hollow and padded rollers, cone portions on one of the stretching rollers, a belt cooperating with the cone portions, and means for shifting the belts to change the speed of the stretching rollers.

7. In combination, an ironing machine including ironing rollers, a frame adjacent the ironing rollers, a pair of dampening rollers, one of which is padded, means for dampening the padded portion by steam, a pair of stretching rollers intermediate the dampening rollers and the ironing rollers, and means for revolving the stretching rollers faster than the dampening rollers to pull the dampened collar from the dampening rollers to stretch it.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of means for dampening articles by steam, a pair of rollers operating in conjunction with the dampening means for stretching the dampened article, and means for revolving the stretching rollers to pull the article faster than it is being fed by the dampening means.

9. In combination, an ironing machine including ironing rollers, a pair of dampening rollers, means for dampening one of the rollers by steam, a pair of stretching rollers intermediate the ironing rollers and the dampening rollers, and means for revolving the stretching rollers to stretch the dampened article before it is ironed.

l0. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a pair of dampening rollers, a pair of stretching rollers, means between the dampening rollers and the stretching rollers for revolving said stretching rollers, Shifters having threaded portions and cooperating with the aforesaid means, and a rod having right and left hand threads engaging the threaded portions of the shifters for simultaneously moving said Shifters to change the speed of the stretching rollers.

ll. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a hollow roller, means for heating the same, a padded hollow roller, means for moistening the padded portion of the hollow roller, a pair of stretching rollers in rear of the hollow rollers, one of said stretching rollers being tapered on its ends to form cones, a counter-shaft adjacent the stretching rollers and having cones the reverse of the cones on the stretching roller, belts engaging the cones to impart motion to the stretching rollers, Shifters having threaded openings and engaging the belts, and a rod having right and left threaded portions engaging the threaded openings in the Shifters to simultaneously move the belts between the cones to alter the speed of the shifting rollers.

12. In combination, a hollow roller, means for heating the roller, a padded roller contacting with the hollow roller, a hollow perforated roller having its surface padded and located adjacent to and in contact with said padded roller, a perforated pipe entering the perforated roller to moisten the padded surface which in turn moistens the first mentioned padded roller, and a pair of stretching rollers adjacent the hollow and padded rollers.

In testimony whereof I hereby aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESLIE H. CARLETON.

Vitnesses EDWARD MAXWELL, E. B. MCMILLAN. 

